COCAINE DRIVES DRUG USE RISE AMONG THE YOUNG
COCAINE is fuelling a spike in drug use among teenagers and young adults. New data from the Home Office shows 19.8 per cent of 16-24 year olds - or nearly one in five - admitted taking illegal drugs in 2017/18.
That was the highest level since 2011/12, when the figure stood at 19.9 per cent.
When only Class A drugs - such as cocaine, heroin and ecstasy - are considered, the number is at its highest level on recent record.
Some 8.4 per cent of 16-24 year olds took Class A drugs in 2017/18, up from 7.0 per cent the previous year.
Specifically, as many as 6.0 per cent of teens and young adults said they had taken cocaine in some form.
Some 5.1 per cent had taken ecstasy, while 2.3 per cent had used hallucinogens, such as LSD and “magic” mushrooms.
Only 0.1 per cent had taken opiates, the category which includes heroin.
Cannabis remains the most popular drug among the younger generation. Some 16.7 per cent of 16-24 year olds said they had used it in 2017/18. In terms of other Class B drugs, 3.1 per cent had taken ketamine. The figures also show just how much access younger people have to illegal drugs. Nearly half of teenagers aged 16-19 (49 per cent) said that they would find it “very” or “fairly” easy to obtain illegal drugs within 24 hours.
A spokesperson for drug and alcohol charity Addaction said: “Young people use drugs for all sorts of reasons.
“For some, it’s about trying things they’ve heard about from their peers.
“For others it’s due to boredom or a desire to experiment.
“It’s inevitable that some young people will experiment with drugs — we can’t ignore that fact. ‘Just say no’ doesn’t work. “We know that trying to scare young people away from drugs rarely works. “Drug taking needs to be treated primarily as a health issue. Young people caught in possession of substances should be diverted from the criminal justice system. Criminal convictions can have a long-lasting negative impact on their future education and employment perspectives. We need to offer help, support, and empathy.”